SYRACUSE — It was about 14 games ago, Tom Izzo recalls now, when the feeling came over him that his Michigan State team had to change its ways.

“We were a soft team,’’ Izzo said.

Soft and Spartans does not go together, not on Izzo’s watch. But in the first half of Friday night’s East Region semifinal, Michigan State was getting beaten to the punch by Oklahoma, as the Sooners three times built leads of 10 points.

“Either they were monsters,’’ Izzo said of Oklahoma, “or we reverted back.’’

When it came time to get down and dirty — call it the Spartans’ way — Michigan State got tough, took a lead late in the second half and held on for a 62-58 victory at the Carrier Dome.

The Spartans move on to face Louisville on Sunday for the right to head to Indianapolis for the Final Four.

“One more victory would be one of the sweetest victories of my career,’’ Izzo said.

One more victory would validate this Spartans edition as another one of Izzo’s special groups. Michigan State (26-11) is in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year and the ninth time under Izzo. There was a sentiment that the Spartans, as a No. 7 seed, were not given enough respect — heck, they were a slight favorite against No. 3 Oklahoma (24-11). The upperclassman trio of Travis Trice, Denzel Valentine and Branden Dawson showed how important it is to know your way around the NCAA Tournament waters, a lesson the talented Sooners have yet to master.

Trice led Michigan State with 24 points and was calm, cool and collected in the waning minutes, refusing to let Oklahoma take back the lead. Valentine added 18 points and Dawson collected 11 rebounds.

Buddy Hield led Oklahoma with 21 points and TaShawn Thomas had 16.

Dawson was fairly brutal in the first half — five points on 2 of 9 shooting — but he rallied in a big way after halftime.

“In the first half I felt like it was my first time playing basketball,’’ Valentine said. “But I kind of just snapped out of it. I just slapped the ground and woke up, I guess.’’

Michigan State took its first lead of the night, 44-42, on Dawson’s shot from the lane. Matt Costello, a 6-foot-9 junior, gave the Spartans the lead again when he pursued his own miss and slammed home the rebound. Valentine, showing no hesitancy to fire away, pulled up and drained a 3-pointer to make it 51-47 and Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger, with 5:56 left, called for time, sensing his team needed to regroup.

Expertly moving without the ball, Trice slipped free in the right corner and his trey made it 54-49. Trice made it 56-51 when he drove on the right side, saw the 6-foot-8 Thomas in his way, pivoted, spun to his left and lofted a soft shot that Thomas could not reach. Trice made two free throws to put Michigan State up 58-53.

Hield missed from deep, but Ryan Spangler back-tapped the rebound to Hield, who stepped back behind the 3-point line, fired away and pulled Oklahoma within 58-56. The Sooners then needed to grab a rebound and could not do it. Trice missed from deep, but Costello was there to tip the rebound toward the rim. When the ball fell off, Valentine hauled it in and was fouled. Thomas grimaced as the Sooners could not secure the defensive rebound.

Valentine and Trice made two free throws apiece and the Spartans were through to the Elite Eight.